Gianela Zapata

Explained PH was founded a day after my 13th birthday. I joined them a year later in 2021, was promoted as the Deputy Features and Lifestyle Editor in 2022, and became one of the Most Outstanding Campus Journalists (MOCJ) in the country in 2023. And so, I can’t help but feel that as the organization grew, I did too. 


Before I became one of the Philippines’ MOCJ, I was your average Explained PH staffer. I pitched topics, wrote articles, and had monthly meetings with my fellow writers and seniors who I greatly looked up to. I joined the group back in 2021. Classes were held in tiny virtual boxes, the infamous COVID-19 pandemic was still wreaking havoc on the country, and teenagers like me were bored out of their minds from staying in their room all day. 

Luckily for me though, my school publication continued to join journalism events and contests. One of those contests was the National Campus Press Olympiad (NCPO), where I won 4th Place in Feature Writing. About a month after the contest, I received an email from Explained PH inviting me to become a content contributor of the organization. I could easily say that the rest is history, but I’m afraid there’s a whole lot more to it than that. 

My invitation letter from Explained PH.

From usually writing about history, culture, and science for my school publication, at Explained PH, I soon covered topics that required interviewing and were more on the human interest side of things. The first time I ever interviewed someone for an article, the power went out in our home and I had to improvise a two-flashlight set up beside my laptop. I kept praying that my mobile data could handle the Zoom call we were in. I was beyond nervous, but thanks to Ate Jed and Kuya Jimwell (who co-wrote the article with me), I was able to write something I was truly proud of. It has a special place in my heart, being the first-ever article of mine to have been published in Explained PH. 

My first time interviewing for Explained PH.

My first-ever article that got published on the page.

I distinctly remember feeling a mix of excitement and anxiety every time we had a monthly meeting during my first few months as a staffer. I was always determined to prove myself back then. However, the more I kept writing, the more I realized that I started to form meaningful friendships and connections with my fellow writers. During one of our meetings, Kuya Archie, our EIC, told us all about a documentary series on the Diliman Commune. It was here that we had more discussions on the role of student publications and youth groups in advocating for societal progress. I even wrote an article about it with my fellow staffer.


This newfound love for interacting with new people didn’t just stop at the organizational level, it expanded towards my community too. I kept writing about everyday Filipinos. This is truly where my love for interviewing was rekindled. In fact, during the screening process for the Most Outstanding Campus Journalist in Region V back in 2023, one of the questions the interviewers asked me was this: ”As a campus journalist, what did you do to help your community during the pandemic?”

Reflecting on all that I did during those years of lockdown, I narrated my entire Explained PH journey and how I found a purpose for writing again. One of the things I emphasized the most was when I interviewed an LRT security guard from Manila. He posted mukbang videos on Youtube in hopes of spreading good vibes to his viewers, as well as in hopes of getting monetized. I soon learnt that he needed money to help his wife buy medication for her thyroid disease.

It was here that I realized just how powerful stories are. It was also an eye-opening reminder of how campus journalists can make a difference by engaging with the masses and telling the truth about their struggles. If I could interview someone hundreds of miles away from where I live, then what’s stopping me from seeking out more stories in need of telling?

My article on security guard and youtuber ‘Kuya Borero TV’.

If you ask me the kinds of stories I love writing about the most, it is not the ones about politicians who put on their best speeches during campaign periods. It is the kind of stories I wrote for Explained PH. There is a misconception that feature writing is like the garden of journalism, but in reality, there is nothing flowery about the battles and sacrifices that ordinary citizens have to face every single day. It is not my job to make their stories appealing or presentable, but to tell them as they are.

I had a lot of people to thank when I became one of the country's MOCJs, but I truly gave massive thanks to my Explained PH family because it was here that I realized just how important going out of my own bubble was. If anything, being a part of Explained PH taught me how to have more empathy, that empathy is radical. It wasn’t radical in the way I was taught by others before though. It was radical in a way that helped facts thrive and create change in society. 

Awarding of the Most Outstanding Campus Journalists of the Philippines during the NSPC 2023 in Cagayan de Oro.

It’s nothing short of heartwarming to know that I inspire others and that they remember me. I used to dream of speaking in front of large crowds, and now I’ve gotten so many opportunities that my younger self would have never imagined of having. Aside from having my own Feature Writing 101 Session, I also became a panelist during Explained PH’s Campus Press Freedom Day Forum and a speaker for the Virtual Journalism Camp back in November. This is why I believe with full confidence that being an MOCJ isn’t just a title, it is a passion that we campus journalists must seek out every day. 

I am proud to say that I am a mosaic of every campus journalist and mentor I have ever met—with many of those coming from Explained PH. Writing with them helped me know a whole lot more about myself. I am far from being one of the greats. I lost my last RSPC and failed to defend our spot in NSPC. I get impostor syndrome every now and then because of the pressure to meet people’s expectations. However, what I do know is that I love interviewing people and writing about their stories, and I believe that is something that will never change.

This April, as Explained PH celebrates its 5th founding anniversary, I can’t help but reflect on how much I have grown in this organization. Throughout my JOURNey as a campus journalist, I have found that my identity will always be tied to serving the masses. Preserving their stories has become as important as ever, especially when so much of our identity and future history as a nation is being distorted. I, Gianela R. Zapata, am more than just an MOCJ. 

I am a storyteller for the people. 

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In celebration of Explained PH Month this April, we are publishing series of essays that commemorates our half a decade of impact.